Architects have revealed designs for a 190,000-home town that would be built if Heathrow Airport closes.

Three architectural firms have been commissioned by Transport for London to come up with proposals for 'Heathrow City', which include new park land, a scientific research centre and a factory for self-made property to make it easier for people to build their own homes.

One of the three designs could be put in place if Heathrow is replaced by a new Thames Estuary airport, a plan supported by London Mayor Boris Johnson that is currently under consideration by the Whitehall-appointed Airports Commission.

Architects have come up with plans for 'Heathrow City' which could be built if the airport is replaced by a Thames Estuary airport. In these design, created by Rick Mather Architects, 190,000 homes would be spread among ten centres, connected by the former runways

According to supporters, the redevelopment of the airport could create 90,000 new jobs and add £7.5 billion to the UK economy.

In designs created by Rick Mather
Architects, the Heathrow site would evolve to become a city of ten districts, connected by the existing runways and airport buildings.

Under that plan, developers
would also create a research, technology and manufacturing hub,
while homes would be made up individual houses,
terraces, mansion blocks and communal squares.

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In a second set of plans created by firm Hawkins\Brown, there would be a 'self-build' factory-for-homes plan.

It would mean Londoners could go online to order homes to their own specifications, something which is already common in several European countries.

In a final plan submitted by Maccreanor
Lavington, Heathrow City would be developed also using existing buildings.

In plans by firm Hawkins Brown, which were commissioned by Transport for London, the city would include a factory to allow people to build their own homes, something which is already common in several European countries

The final set of plans by Maccreanor Lavington shows a technology campus on the east side of the site, as well as a civic centre and retail hub in the former Terminal 2 building

A technology campus would be built on the east side of the site while the former Terminal 2 building would be
renovated to become a civic centre and retail hub that would form the
heart of the new community.

New housing would be made up of self-build homes, community-led development, temporary housing, a development corporation and houses created by developers.

As the plans were released, Mr Johnson said: 'The demand for new
homes and jobs in the capital is such that we must be ready to start
redeveloping Heathrow the moment it moves to its new site. And the
sooner we start planning the better.

The Whitehall-appointed Airports Commission is considering plans for the
Thames Estuary airport, which would lead to the closure of Heathrow
airport, west London, pictured

'We asked our architects to be as creative as possible and these designs illustrate strikingly different visions of a Heathrow of the future.'

He went on: 'However the key point is that all these scenarios would potentially create some of the many thousands of new jobs and homes this city will require given London is expected to increase in size by a fifth within the next 15 years.

'How we deal with that is something we need to be planning for and debating right now. Those discussions must not be delayed.'

Recent reports being prepared for the Airports Commission have cast doubt on the feasibility of the Thames Estuary airport plan, which has been dubbed 'Boris Island'.

The commission is due to make a decision this autumn on whether the estuary plan joins Heathrow and Gatwick runway schemes on the commission's shortlist.

A final decision on just where runway capacity should be increased will be made by the commission in summer 2015.